Clean Getaway: Meat Waste Joins Biofuels At Luxury Jet Show
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By Allison Lampert

LAS VEGAS, Oct 22 (Reuters) - At the world's most significant industry show in Las Vegas high-end jets are enticing purchasers with their streamlined shapes, plush cabins - and increasingly, their use of alternative fuels.

Fuel producers and jetmakers are keen to display novel kinds of air travel fuel considered less hazardous to the climate, from utilized cooking oil to the clearly less attractive meat waste.

Business jet operators, like airline companies, have acquiesced ecological pressure on aviation and dedicated to halving carbon emissions by 2050 compared with 2005.

Their hope is that adopting eco-friendly fuel to curb emissions could make organization jets more attractive to ecologically mindful purchasers - especially corporations facing concerns over sustainability from shareholders or green project groups.

The availability of less polluting personal jets could also spare the rich and popular the negative publicity experienced by Britain's Prince Harry and his better half Meghan over a recent personal jet journey to southern France.

Five Gulfstream jets on screen in Las Vegas are using California-produced fuel from inedible beef tallow.

The latest waste-based fuels consist of "fats, grease and oils that are by-products of the food industry," said Bryan Sherbacow, primary commercial officer of Boston-based biofuel manufacturer World Energy, which produces fuel from meat waste used by Gulfstream.

"All of our product is inedible."

A few of the other 79 aircraft on display are anticipated to be powered by 150,000 gallons of other eco-friendly fuel mixes expected to be pumped at the program.

FLIGHT SHAMING

Private jets represent less than 0.1% of overall yearly carbon emissions worldwide, but can give off, on average, up to 20 times more carbon emissions per guest mile than jetliners, according to the London-based private charter company Victor.

Prince Harry has safeguarded his periodic use of personal jets to ensure his household's security, and has stated that on the rare occasions he does not fly commercially he offsets his emissions.

But planemakers state events such as the furore over his schedule have actually included fresh difficulties for a market already aiming to justify its contribution to cutting business expenses.

"Incidents of flight shaming involving the usage of private jets are unfortunate when you consider that our market has actually delivered fuel performance improvements of 40% over the previous 40 years," said Bombardier Aviation President David Coleal.

Bombardier believes increased sustainable fuel usage will help the industry make inroads with and rich purchasers. According to market information, billionaires just have a 19% company jet ownership rate.

But even an image remodeling - with jets sporting sticker labels like "this airplane flies on sustainable fuels" and organisers including alternative fuel pumps for going to planes - is unlikely to satisfy all critics at the Oct 22-24 high-end jet occasion.

Environmentalists and some experts stay hesitant that biojetfuels, generally blended 50-50 with kerosene, will make a significant effect on public understandings about luxury travel.

"No amount of jatropha curcas or Brazil-nut fuel can make business jets look eco-friendly," said air travel expert Richard Aboulafia.

Demand from organization jet operators for eco-friendly fuels now far goes beyond supply and their interest could drive future production, Sherbacow said.

World Energy, which produces 40 million gallons of biofuel at its California plant, could expand production approximately 150 million gallons by 2022.

Corporate charter business and specialists are likewise seeing more interest from customers who want to buy carbon credits to balance out emissions from their flights.

Brian Proctor, CEO of Mente Group, a U.S. consultancy, stated emissions played a role in a business jet usage research study his business recently finished for a Fortune 500 company.

"At the end of the day, I believe that rate, cost per hour, range, speed and performance, that's still the (sales) chauffeur. But I believe individuals are becoming more familiar with the sustainability of operations and how it affects the planet." (Reporting By Allison Lampert, Editing by Tim Hepher and Alexandra Hudson)